[Mountaindewed]

I have read that melatonin is not addicting or habit forming, but I feel like it is. I take 10 milligrams a night. I feel like I can't sleep without it.

But I also use it as a anxiety med. my anxiety gets bad at night, but then I take the melatonin and in 15 minutes my anxiety is gone and I am very relaxed. I don't need to even take my Ativan.

My doctor was worried about the addiction to Ativan. But maybe the melatonin is a problem?

Btw, I've never been addicted to anything before.

[treevoice]

I doubt it's a full on physical addiction but you may have some kind of psychological dependency forming. Melatonin will mess with your hormones - it causes testosterone levels to lower, which can cause erectile issues in males and estrogen/testosterone imbalances in women with prolonged use. It's fine to use once in a while but I would caution against using it regularly. When I stopped using melatonin I switched to Valerian and Kava Kava (both available in tea form or in supplement form) for my sleep issues and anxiety.

[Guiness187055]

I believe melatonin builds up in your system. I have also heard anything over 3mgs is useless just a placebo effect. If its working for you more power to ya!

[Misssy2]

I know you said you don't need to take your Ativan with the Melatonin and I have found it works the same way for me....except one night i was sitting up in my living room chair and I didn't feel like the Melatonin was relaxing me "as usual" so I took an Ativan with it....BIG MISTAKE...I was stumbling to my room and felt nausea...

I looked up the interaction the next day and there is one...so don't take the Ativan with the Melatonin..you won't feel good.

And...as far as 3mg and anything over being the placebo...if I only take 3...I don't get relaxed or sleepy so everyone is different.

What i have found with Melatonin is that if I take it too many days in a row...I have complications in the bathroom (having to go more than 5 times upon waking). So if your ever having mysterious bathroom issues....think about this. I alternate Melatonin with Ativan (one night taking Melatonin for sleep one night Ativan)....this works for me to eliminate the bathroom issues.

[amandalouise]

short version melatonin is a chemical naturally occuring in the body. it controls things like a persons internal clock (those things like telling you when its time to wake up or go to bed or eat or thirsty with out having to physically look at a clock) every human being has an instinctual internal clock. Suplimenting with Melatonin without blood tests backing up that someone's Melatonin levels are low can cause a person to be overdosing their body and throwing off their internal clock to where their internal clock is no longer telling them its time to sleep. this can cause a person to react in many ways like changes in ones sleep schedule or having trouble getting any kind of sleep.

to realign ones internal clock after sublimenting with Melatonin it takes going through a few to a week of not using it any more and going through a sort of withdraw from it with symptoms of anxiety, restlessness, lack of sleep.

when this happened to me I stocked up on some great books, and non medicated coping tools for my anxiety and sleeplessness like a warm bowl of hot cereal, microwaving a scented bag of rice or small beannie toy, calming music.... my point everyone has their own non medicated personal items that bring them comfort, for some its cooking scents or flowers or warm items, warm clothing, a favorite chair, favorite sheet set.....

my suggestion is contact your doctor and they can help you to get your internal clock reset so that you can have a better night sleep with out depending upon the extra melatonin. your doctor can also do a blood test to see what vitamins/ nutrients that you may be low on and prescribe yo what you need that can also help with your anxiety/sleep problems.